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TECH NOW: Is BlackBerry Z30 worth a look?

I'll be the first to admit that I've been a bit of a BlackBerry basher. The struggling smartphone, once at the epicenter of our nation's gadget addiction, feels like it's all but gone the way of the 8-track in

I'll be the first to admit that I've been a bit of a BlackBerry basher. The struggling smartphone, once at the epicenter of our nation's gadget addiction, feels like it's all but gone the way of the 8-track in recent years. While far from extinct, I can't remember the last time I saw someone walking down the street talking, texting, or taking a selfie on one. My few friends who still carry a BlackBerry primarily use them for work, while opting for an iPhone or Android as their personal phone.

So why are we still talking about it?

And yet … just when you think it's time to say goodbye to the good ole' CrackBerry for good, it seems by many cautiously optimistic accounts that the embattled company could be on a path to making a comeback.

On Friday, CEO John Chen, a noted turnaround artist, reported good news, by way of an earnings showing a fourth-quarter net loss of $423 million. While most of us have a hard time wrapping our heads around how Chen could be "pleased" with that result, industry and financial analysts expected it to be a lot worse. Chen said that BlackBerry's most recent financials are "on track and slightly ahead" of expectations, and re-asserted that BlackBerry will return to profitability and growth within little more than a year.

So what does all this mean for BlackBerry loyalists who swear by the devices flagship security and productivity features? While the company pivots back to its core strengths — securing mobile devices on the internal networks of corporate and government clients such as MasterCard, Daimler AG and Airbus Group — there's a new line of handsets on its way for die-hard keyboard lovers. While smartphones won't be the main focus, Chen said that BlackBerry plans to introduce high-end smartphones that cater to keyboard aficionados in the coming 18 months.

Is BlackBerry worth considering?

Recently, I gave BlackBerry's all-new Z30 smartphone a spin. I used it for three weeks, and it was a lot better than I expected it to be. Here are three things it did better than my iPhone 5s:

- It lasts a lot longer on a single charge: My iPhone usually poops out after about 8 hours, but the BlackBerry stays awake for some 25 hours.

- It's easier to type on: The built-in predictive text feature doesn't just finish the word you're typing, but it can predict the next word based on your past writing patterns. It saves time and tapping.

- It's a better organizer: The notification hub puts all your messages, notifications, and calls in one place. Its clean layout is easy on the eyes and perfect to glance at when you have just a few seconds.

But those bonuses also come with a few drawbacks that will keep me from switching to BlackBerry for the long haul:

- The lack of apps: I want Netflix, and I want it on my phone — and I don't want to take extra steps to get it. To say the marketplace just isn't as robust as the competition, is a major understatement, and app lovers will suffer. Sure, you can switch some apps over (using the Device Switch App) or download Android apps from a handful of places like the Amazon Appstore, but these extra steps are a pain when you're used to having everything you want right at your fingertips. If you've grown accustomed to the iOS, or even Android ecosystem, this feels like you're just going too far back.

- It's out-of-sync: iOS's ability to automatically populate photos, notifications, and messages across all my — and my family's — devices is something I just can't give up. Sure, there are apps that will do it for you, but taking that extra step is just too much of a pain.

- The "cool" factor: I want my main gadget to be an extension of my personality. BlackBerry says "business," when the phone I want to carry around also needs to denote "pleasure."

That feeling — that the Z30 is great, but simply can't replace my current smartphone — is just one part of BlackBerry's current predicament. For the past few years, the company has been a bit like a lost man in the desert, unsure of exactly what they need to do to improve its situation. But the BlackBerry platform still has value to millions of people. BBM, the built-in messaging service on all of the company's smartphones, is still a ridiculously popular application, and you can even download and use BBM on Android and iPhone.

For the moment, it seems like BlackBerry is making a positive step toward reinventing itself.

Using the Z30 has actually made me consider carrying two devices — one for work and one for play — and I think I finally understand what CrackBerry addicts have been praising all these years. I'm anxious to take the next model — reportedly called the Q20 and expected to hit store shelves around the holidays — out for a spin. For the first time in many years, I'm cheering for this underdog. We all like a good comeback story.

ennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly.